SEASIDE, Calif. – After a tough battle of back and forth scoring and two extra overtime quarters, the Cal State Monterey Bay water polo team fell to Cal State East Bay Friday afternoon 7-6.
The Otters end the regular season with a 9-17 overall record while the Pioneers improved to 15-13.
CSUMB started the game strong, taking an early lead with an outside shot from junior
Ashton Palmer (Salt Lake City, Utah/Cottonwood HS). The game moved quickly with the score remaining 1-0 throughout most of the quarter before the Pioneers knotted it off of a counter attack.
Junior
Nicole Koorndyk (Claremont HS) seized an offensive opportunity off with a quick release shot from the right side of the pool off of a perfect pass from junior
Sarah Lowes put CSUMB back up at 2-1. Once again, the Otters held on to the lead for most of the second quarter before a Pioneer skip shot skimmed its way into the goal just under the defense's arms.
Going into the third, the Otters offense's finally gained momentum when freshman
Cami Kellogg (Felton/San Lorenzo Valley HS) netted two goals and sophomore
Samantha Whitecotton (Roseville/Woodcreek HS) gained another off a counter.
CSUEB nabbed three unanswered goals to tie it up again but a power lob by freshman
Bree Hogervorst (Ramona/Mount Valley Academy) gave the Otters the lead once again.
That last quarter proved to be an exhausting one with no one scoring until half way through. The Pioneers gained a 6-on-5 advantage that would allow the tying goal pushing the game into overtime.
East Bay scored the first and only goal in overtime to walk away with the win.
Junior
Amanda Jennings (Oakley/Freedom HS) collected 16 saves in the game.
The Otters were rewarded the No. 2 seed in the WWPA Championship Tournament and will face No. 5 seed Cal State San Bernardino on Friday, April 25 at 2 p.m.
For more information regarding the 2014 WWPA Championship Tournament at Canyonview Aquatics Center on the campus of UC San Diego in La Jolla, Calif., visit the official tournament web page by
clicking here.
